Life in the tundra in winter and summer. Local population or inhabitants of the tundra, video, film. Amazing animals of the tundra

In the cold climate of the tundra, there are far fewer breeds of animals than in our areas, and even more so in hot countries. There is no forest there, and therefore there are no purely forest animals - sable, squirrels, martens, or birds such as capercaillie or hazel grouse. There are very few breeds of small songbirds and even fewer breeds of insects. Only in the most southern parts tundra there are frogs and lizards. Many of our fish are missing, but there are many other fish, northern ones, from whitefish breeds.
But still, life in the tundra is in full swing in summer, and in places you can see many animals, especially birds. Another thing in winter. In winter, the tundra is dead. In the coldest and darkest time, in the middle of winter, you can drive hundreds of miles across the tundra and not see either an animal or a bird.
Those animals that live in the tundra live and breed freely there. There are few people there, a lot of deserted places. Therefore, animals are comparatively little exterminated and persecuted. In our forests, for example, in the central provinces, many animals are completely knocked out. The beavers have disappeared, there are almost no moose left, there are very few martens and capercaillie. The population is dense, they go everywhere in the forests and cut them down, cattle graze in the floodplains. There is a lot of space in the tundra, and in places only, far from each other, there are villages or nomads stand with deer. There is where to stay and nest for animals and birds. But the hunter there usually gets enough to feed himself. He also catches fur-bearing animals, whose skins are sold, and birds, in order to stock up on meat for the winter; collects goose and duck eggs in the spring for food.

From large predatory animals on sea ​​shores tundra you can occasionally meet a polar bear. It looks like our forest bear, but it can be larger (there are polar bears forty pounds), and his hair is white, like a gray horse. This bear lives, in fact, on the ice of the sea, but sometimes it comes ashore to eat some kind of carrion or wander around the earth like that. He is an excellent swimmer and diver, eats fish and sea seals. In summer, he almost never visits the shores of the tundra, but lives far to the north, on the ice of the Arctic Sea and on the polar islands. But in winter, industrialists sometimes kill bears on coastal ice and on the banks - near the Pechora, and along the entire Siberian coast, where people are. Everywhere in the north, a polar bear is called an oshkuy.

Even more committed to the sea are real sea animals - walruses and seals. The walrus is a large animal, two fathoms long. Instead of paws, he has flippers, which are convenient for paddling in the water. The skin is thick, the wool on it is coarse, sparse, under the skin there is a whole layer of fat. Two arshine-long fangs protrude from his mouth. The bone of these fangs is no worse than ivory and is used for various handicrafts. The thickest and most durable belts are made from thick walrus skin. Fat, of course, also goes into business. Walruses often crawl out of the sea onto the shore, here sometimes the inhabitants of the tundra beat them with rifles. But they don't come across often.
There are many more seals. They are much smaller and do not have fangs. But their skin and fat also come into play. There are more of them on coastal ice, which is called fast ice. All winter and sometimes until late summer, this ice stays off the coast in a wide strip, sometimes 10 versts from the shore, and sometimes 100 versts. Behind it is floating ice, which is carried by the winds. It happens that fast ice will be torn off the shore by the wind and carried into the sea, and then it will beat again. Seals climb out of the water onto this ice through cracks or burrows, which they themselves thaw (blow through) from below. A seal lies on the ice near the hole. When he sees a man or a bear, he will duck into his hole and disappear under the ice. Here the industrialists beat them, crawling up to them carefully so as not to frighten them away.

Wolves are quite numerous in the tundra. Northern wolves have lighter coats than ours, and sometimes completely white animals come across. They are large in stature. It is known that in our country wolves, especially in winter, huddle up to the villages and try to drag sheep and dogs or feed on carrion. And in the summer they attack cattle in the field. So in the tundra there are more wolves where large herds of domestic deer graze. Deer owners are very afraid of wolves attacks on the herd. The trouble is not that the wolves will slaughter one or two deer, but that frightened deer can scatter far across the tundra, so that you won’t be able to collect them later. Fighting wolves is difficult. These are cautious and cunning animals, able to beware of a gun and a trap. Rarely do hunters catch and kill them.
The fox also enters the tundra from forests and crooked forests. But foxes are not often seen there. On the contrary, arctic foxes are numerous in the tundra. These animals are very similar to the fox in body type, but smaller in stature. In winter they are snowy white color and grayish in summer. They change, therefore, the color of their wool for the winter, just like our white hare. Occasionally, Arctic foxes come across in the tundra, which have a brownish-smoky coat both in winter and summer. In trade, such foxes are called blue foxes.
Arctic foxes are real northern animals. They are found on the polar islands (on Novaya Zemlya, Svalbard, Greenland and others) and in the tundra. In the sandy hills of the tundra, they dig deep holes in which they bring out their cubs. Arctic foxes breed quite quickly. There can be up to 16 puppies in one litter. The industrialists say that there are more.
The value of the fox skin is great. Locally, they now pay 40 rubles for a white winter coat, and up to 100 rubles or even more for a blue fox. Industrialists get good earnings from catching arctic foxes. The bad thing is that in many places old and especially young arctic foxes are caught in autumn, which still have a gray, summer skin. Such foxes are called crosses. The skin of the cross is worth only two rubles.

It is clear that catching them is harmful, since the beast is transferred in this way without sufficient benefit for the industrialist. It's like shooting a squirrel in the summer when the skin is no good. Government organizations and cooperatives that trade in furs are now prohibited from buying cross stitch.
Arctic foxes are caught with traps and simple wooden traps, which are called slops or dies. These traps are arranged in such a way that the animal that has touched the bait lowers a heavy log. It falls on the beast and kills it. Arctic foxes are caught throughout the tundra, up to 50,000 per year.
A small, but fast and predatory ermine also lives in the tundra. He has a brown skin in summer, and in winter, just like a polar fox, pure white, only the tip of the tail remains black. Such a winter skin of the ruble is valued at 2–3. Weasels are also caught with various traps. Ermines are found everywhere - in the forests of Siberia, and in the steppes, and in the middle Russian provinces. The wolverine sometimes comes out of the forests into the pure tundra, a beast that usually lives in the forests in the north. But the wolverine rarely comes across in the tundra. In a large number of fur-bearing animals, only arctic fox and ermine are caught there.
In some places there are a lot of wild animals in the tundra reindeer. This beast is also found in forests, often, for example, in the Perm and Vologda provinces. But there are more deer in the tundra. There are places where they keep whole herds. There are fewer wild deer where herds of domestic deer are grazing, which are bred in the tundra. The domestic deer is very similar to the wild one. But an experienced eye still distinguishes the latter by the way he runs and holds his head. Wild deer are very watchdogs, so hunting them is difficult. Shoot them for tasty meat and skins. Wild deer are also found on the distant polar islands.

Different breeds of deer have large branched antlers, which fall off and grow again every year - just like those of elks. The reindeer also has big horns. But in other deer, only males have antlers; females are polled. Reindeer and females have antlers, only smaller than males. The wool of the reindeer is very thick and dense and protects it very well from the cold. From the skins of young deer, northerners make a warm dress.
White hares and all sorts of small animals also live in the tundra. Among these animals, the most remarkable are pied. These are large mice with a spotted skin and a short tail. There are several breeds of them in the tundra. In places they breed in enormous numbers, just like mice in our grain fields. Places of the tundra, abundantly inhabited by pied beetles, can be recognized immediately: all the soil is excavated by their burrows and passages. Mice dart underfoot everywhere, now running from place to place, then again disappearing into moss and burrows. Arctic foxes and birds of prey that feed on them gather to such places where many pieds will hatch. And the dogs then eat mice.
It is clear that one does not often see an animal in the open tundra. Occasionally you will see a herd of wild deer grazing in the distance, which will quickly see or smell a person and rush away. You will sometimes notice how a wolf sneaks in the grass or bushes, or how an arctic fox crawls out of a hole on a hillside. The beast sees and smells far and tries to get away from the man. But birds are almost everywhere, and especially on the river lays, you can see a lot. Especially since spring, from all sides, from lakes and from dry tundra, bird cries are heard: flocks of birds fly from place to place and sit on water and land.
It is clear that in the tundra almost all birds are migratory. With the onset of spring, geese and goose, swans, various breeds of ducks, birds of prey and a few breeds of small birds fly there. In spring and summer it is light round the clock, and around the clock you can see birds around and hear their hubbub. Geese nest in pairs along the shores of lakes. And those that do not nest, gather in herds. They molt in the middle of summer. And in geese and swans, in geese and ducks, large feathers on their wings fall out during molting. For two weeks they cannot fly during the molt. At this time, they are driven on boats and driven into set nets. It happens that several hundred birds are caught at once. White partridges are numerous in the tundra. They also fly south in winter to the forests, but they fly back to the tundra early, in April, when they are still standing. very coldy. These partridges only turn white in the winter. In summer they are pockmarked, like a black grouse in color, but lighter. Partridges are also caught a lot in the tundra for feathers and meat.
There are various sea ducks that fly to nest in the tundra, and then fly away to the sea, to places where there is no solid ice. Eiders are important for fishing. The males of these birds have a very bright and beautiful plumage, even more beautiful than that of the drakes of our ducks. Female eiders are pockmarked, like a mallard duck. When the eider makes a nest and lays eggs, she lines the nest with her fluff. This fluff is extremely delicate and highly valued. It is better than swan, very light and is used on the lining of a warm dress. This fluff is taken out of the nests.
IN northern countries Europe, in Sweden, Norway and on the northern shores and islands of England, where there are also a lot of eiders, these birds are protected. They try to make as many of them nest on the banks as possible. They let them sit and take the children out of the nests, and then they take out the fluff. Eggs, of course, are never taken out. In our tundra and on the shores of the White Sea and the Murmansk coast, on the contrary, industrialists often take eggs along with down. This is to drive the birds away from their nesting sites. It is clear that such actions are wrong. Industrialists rob themselves and deprive themselves of income for the future.

A lot of different large and small waders live in the tundra, which also nest near the water and love swampy places. But there are much fewer species of birds of prey there than here. Large falcons, buzzards and great snowy owls live there. These predators also catch birds, but feed more on pied. There are also few small birds. Snow plantains live there, which sing in spring, and yellow and white wagtails.
Most of the birds can be seen on the river laydas, where numerous water birds and various shorebirds nest near lakes and swamps. Here, along the edges of the valleys, on the cliffs of the tundra, birds of prey also nest, having rich prey around. Birds are much less visible in the dry moss tundra. Here, broods of partridges nest in the bushes, plovers and great dark skuas, similar to gulls, nest. There are more birds of all kinds in the southern strip of the tundra, where the vegetation is richer. In the northernmost places, closer to the shores of the Arctic Sea, birds are much less visible. But there are also breeds that just nest there.
All this multitude of birds and animals can be seen in the tundra only in summer. For the winter, the birds fly south, and even the animals partly go to the forests; there are almost no animals left in the tundra. In the middle of winter, when the days are very short, or even when it is all night, you can drive a thousand miles across the tundra and not see either an animal or a bird. It is difficult to feed there, and animals leave from there to more southern places. As we shall see further, some of the people also leave.
Although there are fewer species of fish living in the rivers and lakes of the north than in the waters temperate climate but there are plenty of fish. Many of our fish are also found in the lakes of the tundra, for example, large pikes, burbots, and roaches. In the lower reaches of the Ob and Yenisei, large sturgeons are caught. But there are even more whitefish of different breeds in the north. The names of these fish are muksun, shokur, pyzhyan, taimen, selga.

Many different whitefishes come from the sea into the rivers in spring to spawn. At this time, at the beginning of summer, on the large rivers of the tundra, especially a lot of fish are caught. But in all the deep lakes of the tundra, which do not freeze to the bottom, you can fish with small nets. On sunny days, pikes often stand on the shores of lakes in the grass. In shallow places you can clearly see the fish, so you can always kill it with a gun. A lot of fish enter the rivers of Eastern Siberia from the sea. There are fish in large herds and sometimes huddle in shallow places to the shore. Arctic foxes and dogs at such a time catch fish from the shore, and bears, also fish hunters, are waiting for her arrival in the forests. It happens when there are a lot of fish that the bear pulls out one fish after another and eats off only the heads, so that heaps of fish remain on the shore. Both animals and birds eat off the fish during the course of the fish, and people store it for the whole year for themselves and for food for dogs.
Spring in the tundra comes very quickly. Suddenly warm days will come, the snow will begin to melt and the water will rustle everywhere. The southern slopes of the hills will be vividly exposed and greenery will appear on them. And now insects will appear in the grass - bugs and various flies. But insects there, like plants, cling to the ground and fly little. There are also different butterflies there, but more small and not bright, like ours, but dull-colored. And you can hardly see them flying. In total, there are more mosquitoes in the tundra. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water. Their larvae live in the water, and there is a lot of water in the tundra in summer. As soon as warm summer days come, mosquitoes will not live like that. Clouds of them surround a person, climb into the eyes and mouth, so that it is difficult to do anything. You start boiling a pot or kettle on a fire, and mosquitoes pour in there like rain. The face and neck swell from the bites, you have to put a net on your face, and a canvas mosquito net on your head and neck. But this does not help much, as the bloodsuckers make their way under the dress. It is very difficult to graze deer during the mosquito season. Mosquitoes torment them and deer begin to scatter. They try to run against the wind to keep the mosquitoes away.
Therefore, in the summer in the tundra, the best quiet warm days are the most difficult for people and animals. When a strong wind blows or it gets cold, so that the time becomes like our late autumn, it becomes easier. Mosquitoes on such days disappear - they do not rise from the ground. Much fewer of them are made closer to autumn, to Ilyin's day, especially if the time is cool.
There is a lot of this midge both in the taiga and in the crooked forests, but it seems that in the swamps of the tundra it is the most. True, the mosquito is very strong only in the southern strip of the tundra. Closer to the seashore, the summer is colder, the winds are more frequent, and there are already much fewer mosquitoes, and on the very shores of the sea there are not many at all.
From a mosquito, however, in wild uninhabited places one has to suffer everywhere. It happened that in Siberia the settlers left the places occupied for living, because they could not stand the midges.

Tundra is a natural ecosystem located at the North Pole. It is included in the biome surrounding the Arctic Circle, which is also the coldest on Earth. The natural zone of the tundra is located in the center of the North Pole, but there are other parts that are included in its territory, since they have the same climatic conditions. These regions include the Arctic, part of Alaska, and northern Canada. In the tundra, the average temperature in winter is -34° C, and in summer it ranges between +3° and +12° C. The tundra area warms up only for two months a year. But, despite the severe cold, the tundra biome is rapidly developing. Here you can find a wide variety of flora and fauna. Plants found on the territory of the tundra are concentrated quite densely in order to protect themselves from the harsh northern winds. Tundra animals hibernate for a significant part of the year or migrate to warm regions. It is the animal world of the tundra that the list below is dedicated to.

Reindeer

This hardy animal can be safely called one of the main inhabitants of the tundra. Without him, it would be very difficult for the local population. The reindeer belongs to artiodactyl mammals.

From the appearance of the animal, its elongated body and neck and short legs disproportionate to such a physique should be distinguished. Such a structure makes the animal not ugly, but rather peculiar. They are large and slightly smaller. The first live in the Far North. The second can be seen in the taiga Siberia. Their distinctive feature is the horns, which are inherent in both the male deer and the female. This nomadic animal migrates throughout the tundra depending on weather conditions and seasons.

Many of them have become pets and are a valuable trade for the local population. Deer have enemies in the face of the wolf, wolverine, arctic foxes and bears. Deer live for about 28 years.

Beluga whale

Beluga is an animal with a very memorable appearance. It has almost white skin without any markings. Only juveniles, recently born into the world, have dark blue skin, which eventually brightens to gray, and then to white. They grow up to 6 m in length and reach a weight of 2 tons.

These animals are "sociable", gathering in flocks of up to thousands of individuals during the feeding period. By talking among themselves with many sounds and even using facial expressions, beluga whales confirm the status of a very smart animal. They are easily trained and are widely represented in dolphinariums around the world.

Belugas are born off the coast, and spend most of their lives in their place of birth. By observing the movements of tagged individuals, the scientists found that the beluga whale remembers its place of birth, periodically returning there. On the shore, beluga whales roll on pebbles to exfoliate dead skin. The width of the skin reaches 20 cm and does not stretch as it grows, so the animal needs to get rid of its upper layers.

In summer, they stay in shallow water due to the abundance of food and warm water, and in winter they go north to the drifting ice. Wintering takes place at the edge of the ice sheet, although animals can swim several kilometers under the ice, breathing through polynyas. So that these areas open water did not freeze, beluga whales break through the ice crust, which can reach 10 cm.

But still, there is a risk of suffocation or not finding wormwood in time, and for some belugas wintering ends tragically. Also in winter, beluga whales are of great interest to polar bears, which drown animals through thin ice. The beluga whale contains a lot of fat and for bears such prey is an exceptional success.

arctic fox

The arctic fox looks like a fox, only it has small round ears, a short nose, and it is smaller. In winter, the animal is dressed in a bright white fur coat, only curious eyes and the tip of the nose stand out with dark spots on the white muzzle. The winter fur of the arctic fox is long, fluffy, thick. Even the soles of his paws are covered with hair. And in summer it is grayish-brown, shabby and thin. At this time, he raises offspring and is constantly busy looking for food. In summer, the arctic fox hunts on land, but in winter it can move hundreds of kilometers deep into the ocean from the coast on ice.

The animal eats whatever it can get. He picks up leftover food for a polar bear, steals eggs from birds - after them he climbs rocks, eats berries, plants and even algae. Devastates the supplies of the explorers, if he can get to them. But its main food is lemmings. When there are many foxes, up to twenty puppies are born in burrows that they dig themselves. Under the ground, they dug entire labyrinths of tunnels with nesting chambers and many exits. Puppies, when they grow up a little, crawl out of the hole for food that their parents bring them, and after six months they catch up with them in weight and begin to live on their own.

polar Wolf

This white handsome man does not differ in appearance from his fellows, except for the light coat color with light additions of red. In addition, the polar wolf has a fluffy tail resembling a fox.

With the help of this color, the wolf camouflages itself in the snow and can get close to its victims. This wolf has a rather impressive size, and the females are usually smaller than the males.

The polar wolf has 42 powerful teeth that inspire fear even in the most daring hunter. With these teeth, the animal can easily gnaw even the largest bones. As the others animals that live in the tundra, the polar wolf has learned to survive in such difficult conditions.

The saying that the feet feed the wolf is appropriate in this case. Having strong legs, the animal can travel considerable distances in search of food or in pursuit of its prey. Wolves are picky eaters. Moreover, they can do without it for about 14 days. This pack animal is still a thunderstorm for all the inhabitants of the tundra. Lives for a short time, no more than 7 years.

Walrus

The largest pinniped mammal, the walrus, lives in the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Despite its clumsy appearance, it swims deftly and nimbly in coastal waters and moves on land.

The length of the giant's huge body can reach 5 m, and the mass - 2 tons. characteristic feature walrus are long powerful fangs, weighing 2-4 kg each, which are a formidable weapon in a fight with a polar bear. This five-meter sea animal usually attacks a bear from below, thrusting its fangs into it to their full length.

The walrus is not afraid of icy water and cold arctic climate. His body, which has a thick fat layer and thick skin (3-5 cm), well protected from hypothermia, which allows him to sleep not only on the icy shore, but also in the sea. An airy subcutaneous sac connected to the pharynx helps him stay on the water during sleep. The walrus does not see well, but it has a good sense of smell, thanks to which it senses the approach of danger. In case of alarm, the whole herd rises from its place, and in a panic rushes into the water. In a stampede, several individuals often die, the carcasses of which become food for polar bears.

Walrus skin is covered with sparse coarse hair. On the upper lip in several rows are mobile thick vibrissae, equipped with big amount nerve endings. Vibrissae are organs of touch, with the help of which the walrus probes food at the bottom of the sea, extracting various mollusks, crustaceans, worms, and less often small fish. Fins serve as swimming and diving organs in walruses, while the rear flippers can be tucked under the body, which allows the animal to push off the ice surface.

Walruses start breeding at the age of five and only once every 3-4 years. The female gives birth to one cub and gently takes care of it for about a year, until the walrus cub grows fangs.

Unrestrained fishing on these animals led to a reduction in their numbers, and in some places even to complete extinction. Therefore, walruses are included in the Red Book of Russia as rare, endangered animals.

Bunting

Light colored birds with reddish brown backs; the size of a sparrow. Where there are people, there you will meet these cheerful, friendly birds - sometimes even at the North Pole, near the dwellings of polar explorers! "Tewie, Tewie," their silvery trills are carried over the tundra. And the residents rejoice: "Spring is coming!".

In the meantime, snow buntings deftly run from plant to plant, pecking at the seeds. In the summer, when the tundra turns green and hordes of insects appear, the birds switch to animal feed. The chicks are also fed insects.

Snow buntings have thick warm fluff under smooth feathers - they don’t care about the cold. But in winter, they still fly south, where there is more food. Flying over Central Russia, snow buntings descend to the fields to feed on plant seeds. And after them, winter creeps up here imperceptibly ...

tundra wolf

Many animals live in the northern expanses of the Arctic and the tundra. Various types of mammals live here: from small rodents to large bears.

There are also predators. At the top of the food chain is the wolf. A subspecies of the wolf lives in the tundra - the tundra wolf.

The tundra wolf is one of the largest subspecies in the wolf family. An adult can reach a weight of up to fifty kilograms. Body length is up to 140 cm, females are slightly smaller. The color of the coat changes depending on the season and the age of the animal. In winter, it is practically white, with small dark spots on the muzzle or back. Old wolves acquire a reddish hue of wool, it persists into the winter.

The winter skin is denser and thicker. In any season, it is very long and soft. Under the influence of the sun, by the end of winter, the skin of the wolf fades and becomes almost white.

The tundra wolf can sleep on cold stones, buried in the snow. They do not dig holes, they can only settle in the already created minks of other animals. Tundra wolves live in packs of up to 20 adults. Most often, descendants of leaders live in a pack: alpha male and alpha female. Sometimes they can accept lone wolves into their pack. A rigid hierarchy determines the position of the wolf and his "duties". Young wolves up to 2 years of age enjoy a great position and respect in the pack.

The alpha male has "deputies" in large flocks. Usually 3-4 large adult wolves. They help keep order and suppress riots. In hunting, each wolf also has its own task: some hunt down, others drive prey, only the leader can kill a large animal. Wolves make their way through the snow in a chain, leaving a trail only from the leader, the rest must follow the trail without giving out the number of the pack. Wolves form married couples for life with one wolf. Only the leader and his alpha female can have offspring. If other couples want to have offspring, then they must leave the pack and start their own family. In the spring, the alpha male and female leave the pack for a few weeks and spend time together to have new offspring.

Tundra wolves live mostly on the territory of the tundra part of Russia from the Kola Peninsula to Kamchatka. They prefer tundra fields, can be found in the taiga and on the coasts of the northern seas. They can also be found in Scandinavia.

eider-comb

The male of this sea duck has a bright comb-like growth on his forehead, which attracts the attention of females from a distance. The female is painted modestly, because it is she who will have to hatch the chicks, and she should not attract attention.

Combs arrange nests on elevated places in the tundra, lining them with their fluff. They cover their eggs with fluff when they occasionally go to feed. The eider has a light, warm down, she plucks it out of her abdomen. The male leaves the duck as soon as she sits on the eggs. And the comb incubates the ducklings and goes with them to the tundra lakes, where it is safer and more food for them. And when the chicks grow up, everyone moves to the open sea.

Diving, eiders row with both paws and wings. Collect crustaceans, mollusks from the bottom of the sea, swallowing them together with shells. They also eat benthic insects, sometimes fish. In the spring - the berries of crowberry and blueberries left over from the winter. Birds winter in the open sea, among polynyas. Comb eiders live only in Russia.

Seal

The Baikal seal is a representative of the seal family, which is the only one of all mammals that lives on Lake Baikal. She also feels good in freshwater, unlike her relatives. How the individual got into the lake, no one can answer for sure, there are only assumptions. Perhaps they were here from the Arctic during the last ice age when the Baikal rivers were connected to the Arctic Ocean.

Body length 120 - 130 cm, weight about 80 kg. From birth, the animal grows up to 18 years. She has a gray coloring of the streamlined body, the belly is slightly lighter. The fur is short, thick and very warm.

Strong short legs in the form of flippers, small head, short tail. The forelimbs have strong claws, while the hind legs are smaller and thinner. For swimming, it uses the flippers of the hind limbs, the front ones perform a secondary role, such as turning or braking. On land, it moves with difficulty and clumsily, but it swims well. The seal lacks an external ear. She dives to a depth of 400 meters, is under water for 30 minutes without difficulty, while her nostrils and internal hearing aid are closed with a special membrane. Vision, hearing and sense of smell are well developed.

Whiskers (vibrissae) help with hunting, they, like the nose, pick up fluctuations in water and changes in the chemical composition of water. Leads mainly an aquatic lifestyle.

On land, they get out to rest, bask in the sun and, most importantly, give life to the cubs. She has a rather thick layer of cumulative fat 12 cm. In winter, animals do not leave the water, they make holes in thin ice in advance, through which they breathe. Eats fish.

The female's pregnancy will last 11 months. In March, one, rarely two babies are born in snow holes, which are pure white. The weight of one cub is about 4 kg. With his mother, he will stay in the den for about 2 months until the snow shelter collapses. All this time the cub eats fatty nutritious milk and quickly gains weight.

Arctic hare

This polar hare is considered the largest among its fellows. There are some other differences between rabbits. The length of the arctic's ears is much shorter than everyone else's, this helps his body retain more heat.

Their front paws are equipped with sharp and curved claws, with which they dig up the snow. Under the snow, the animal finds food, even if it is deep enough thanks to its excellent sense of smell. The main enemies of the animal are ermines, wolves, arctic foxes, lynxes, snowy owls. Arctic hare live no more than 5 years.

Whitefish

Whitefish is a fish that belongs to the salmon family. valuable commercial fish. There are more than 40 species of this family, but it is rather problematic to distinguish between them. After all, she lives in the rivers, lakes of America and Europe, as well as northern Asia, where conditions of existence are completely different. Scientists distinguish whitefish by living conditions, places and terms of spawning of fish, by taste
The body is covered with medium-sized scales and compressed at the sides. The mouth is very small, and there are no teeth on the upper jaw. On other parts they quickly disappear, they are always very poorly developed.

He needs clean and oxygenated water with a temperature of 15 degrees C. Oxygen should be at least 8 mg / l. It feeds on plankton, and large whitefish feed on fry and small fish. The mass of one-year-old fish reaches 100 grams, and the body length is up to 30 cm. A sexually mature individual is considered at the age of 3 years.

Skuas

The skua lives in the Arctic and Antarctic tundra. Here the bird nests in the warm season. In winter, flocks of skuas move closer to sea ​​coast. Representatives of some species of skuas wait out the winter even within the Southern Tropic.

Skua looks like a gull, but differs from it in larger sizes. In addition, skuas have darker plumage and large skin-covered beaks. The body length of the skua is about 55 cm, and the wingspan reaches 135 cm. Due to the powerful wings, the skua shows miracles of agility during the flight, attacking the prey in the air until it takes the prey from it.

Skuas are often compared to pirates. They also appropriate someone else's food, like sea robbers. This behavior of skuas is due to the fact that these birds do not know how to fish on their own, so they take the catch from other birds. These feathered bandits attack birds not only in the air, but also on land. They often destroy bird nests. In times of famine, they even eat their own masonry.

Skuas feed not only on bird eggs and fish, although feathered robbers prefer this food. Wandering throughout the sea, skuas eat any seafood indiscriminately. Crustaceans, mollusks, worms and even the meat of dead marine animals are used. Chasing other birds, they force them to burp their prey and take it away. They do not refuse berries growing in the tundra, as well as human food waste. There are cases when South Polar skuas got so used to feeding on food waste that they took it from the hands of polar explorers on duty at Antarctic stations.

weasel

This name does not quite correspond to this animal. Weasel is a small, but predator, distinguished by its dexterity and ferocity. The fur of the animal is brownish-red.

In winter, the weasel dresses in a snow-white fur coat with a long nap. On the strong short legs of the animal, sharp claws can be seen, with the help of which the animal easily moves through the trees and breaks the holes of mice. Weasel uses jumps to move. She looks around the area, rising on two hind legs.

For affection, it is important that there is a lot of food around her. She will not live in an area where there is no one to hunt for. It has a good appetite and in a matter of days can massively destroy an entire population of rodents.

In winter, the animal moves in snowy tunnels. And in the case of severe frosts, it may not appear on the surface for a long time. Weasels should not encounter wolves, foxes, badgers, martens and birds of prey. The animal lives for about 8 years.

ptarmigan

In winter, this bird wears plumage the color of snow. Even her paws are covered with feathers - as if in white downy felt boots - and they do not freeze, and they do not fall into the snow. In winter, strong strong claws grow on the fingers, with which the partridge rakes the snow, looking for food: buds of dwarf birches and willows. She sleeps in the snow. Buried so that only the head sticks out. When food is scarce, partridges gather in huge flocks and move to the forest tundra. And so that they do not lose each other in flight, their undertails are decorated with coal-black feathers. A bird is flying, in front is a black beacon.

With the advent of spring, birds arrange nests on dry bumps. The female sits on the eggs, and the male guards his nesting site. By summer, the birds turn from snow whites into pieds - they change winter plumage to summer, lighter and darker. Yes, and their chickens are colorful, nimble. In multi-colored swamp mosses, they are difficult to notice. Children catch insects, and parents eat seeds, berries, grass shoots and vigilantly guard their offspring. Chicks grow quickly, at the age of two months, young partridges are already catching up with their parents in size.

northern fur seal

The way of life of male and female northern fur seals is very different. Adult males never move far from the islands in the Bering Sea area, where their rookeries are located. Females go annually to travel the ocean and fish. Some females even reach the coast of California. Northern fur seals are much more mobile on the ground than seals because they can bend their hind limbs under the body.
In the water, they also move differently than seals: northern fur seals row with a circular motion of the front flippers, while the rear ones mainly act as a rudder. It is known that the hearing, taste and vision of northern fur seals are very well developed, but so far it has not been possible to find out how they navigate underwater.

Northern fur seals spend most of their lives feeding in fish-rich northern waters. Pacific Ocean. It is fish that is the basis of their menu. In addition, northern fur seals prey on cephalopods and crustaceans. Like other pinnipeds, they find food with the help of vibrissae, which tremble at the approach of prey, which cause waves in the water. Trembling is transmitted by nerve endings. During the mating season, females regularly leave their cubs alone, going to the sea to feed, being absent for 7-8 days. Often they move up to 160 km from the coast. The seals swim, rest and sleep in the water until they reach fish-rich areas. There they hunt.

The billhooks are the first to appear in the rookery area. They fight among themselves for the best sites. Queens appear on rookeries in mid-May-early June. They go ashore, where billhooks are waiting for them, who are trying to capture and drive more females into their harem. Harem females are jealously guarded by billhooks. During the first 1-4 days after the appearance on the rookery, the females give birth to cubs. The baby weighs about 2 kg, its length is 50 cm.

Salmon

Salmon - the most known species salmon. This large beautiful fish reaches one and a half meters in length and 39 kg of weight. The body of the salmon is covered with small silvery scales; there are no spots below the lateral line. Salmon in the sea feeds on small fish and crustaceans, and entering the rivers for spawning, it stops eating and becomes very thin. The courtship attire is expressed in the darkening of the body and the appearance of red and orange spots on the sides of the body and head. In males, the jaws are lengthened and curved, a hook-shaped protrusion is formed on the upper jaw, which is included in the notch on the lower jaw. Salmon feeding areas - Northern part Atlantic Ocean.

From here it enters to spawn in the rivers of Europe, from Portugal in the south to the White Sea and the river. Carriages in the north. Along the American coast, salmon is distributed from the Connecticut River in the south to Greenland in the north. There are several species of the genus Salmo in the Pacific Basin, but they are few in number compared to Pacific salmon of the genus Oncorhynchus. Previously, salmon were extremely numerous in all the rivers of Europe, where there were suitable spawning grounds. Walter Scott mentions the times when Scottish laborers, when they hired, made it a condition that they were not fed salmon too often. Hydroconstruction, pollution of rivers by domestic and factory waste, and mainly overfishing, have led to the fact that this condition is easily satisfied in our time. The number of salmon has now declined sharply, and artificial breeding is widely used in special hatcheries to maintain the herd. The course of salmon in the rivers is rather complicated. In our rivers flowing into the Barents and White Sea, from August until freezing there is a large autumn salmon. Its sex products are very poorly developed. The course is interrupted with the onset of winter.

polar bear

This animal is considered the largest among its fellows. His body is clumsy and angular. In all seasons, the animal has the same white-brown color. The skin consists of wool and undercoat, which saves bears from severe frosts, and also makes it possible long time be in ice water.

It only initially may seem that the polar bear is clumsy and clumsy. But understanding comes when you see how skillfully this giant swims and dives.

Overcoming great distances in search of food, the bear skillfully hunts. It is very dangerous for humans. Meeting with polar bear brings big trouble.

Such hostility in an animal probably comes from its subconscious. After all, it is people who are the reason for the large decline in the number of bears due to poaching. Among the other inhabitants of the tundra, the bear has no enemies. The life expectancy of an animal in nature reaches up to 30 years. In captivity, it can increase up to 15 years.

Ermine

The ermine is a close relative of the marten, so it has many similarities with this animal: a long thin body, short limbs equipped with tenacious sharp claws, a pointed muzzle, sharp teeth and rounded ears. The paws of the animal have membranes that facilitate the movement of the ermine in the snow.

The animal is small in size and weighs between 80 - 270 grams. The length of its body reaches up to 38 cm, including a third of the length of the body is the tail.

The ermine has a wonderful snow-white color in winter, and in summer the animal acquires a reddish color on the back and yellowish on the abdomen. But the tip of the tail always remains black.

The ermine's favorite habitats are the polar and temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere. This animal is found in almost all European countries. It is not found only in the Mediterranean countries. Among Asian countries, ermine is found in Afghanistan, Iran, northern Japan, China and Mongolia. On the American continent, this animal lives in Canada and on the island of Greenland.

The ermine hunts thanks to its excellent sense organs: sense of smell and sight. It is mainly the female ermine that pulls the prey out of the hole, since it is much smaller than it in size and easily penetrates the rodent's hole.

Ermines are polygamous animals and all responsibility for bearing and raising babies lies with the female. After mating games pregnancy occurs, but in the ermine, like in many mustelids, the embryo is preserved until spring, and later its development begins. A female stoat gives birth to 3 to 17 cubs, completely helpless, which she feeds for about 2 months. Already at the age of 3-4 months, the cubs are able to get their own food on their own. Despite the high fertility, the ermine is listed in the Red Book. This animal has always been an object of hunting because of its regal fur.

tundra swan

In size, the smallest among waterfowl relatives. They feed on algae, fish and coastal vegetation. Grace, grace of birds have become symbols of beauty.

Created pairs of swans are inseparable all their lives. Large nests are built on high ground and are lined with their own feathers and those of other birds. The chicks are not left alone and are protected by strong wings and beaks.

Young growth grows stronger in 40 days. The short summer hurries the birds. Lesser tundra swan is listed animals of the red book of the tundra. Shooting birds is prohibited.

snow sheep

The bighorn sheep (bighorn) is an artiodactyl ruminant animal that belongs to the bovid family. The weight of an adult male can reach up to 150 kg. The snow sheep lives in the highlands of Siberia, Sakhalin and Kamchatka. The number of species in 2017 is slightly more than 100 thousand individuals around the globe. A detailed description will help you get a more accurate picture.

The bighorn sheep, or bighorn, has a large downed physique. Due to the fact that the habitat of animals is mostly high mountain ranges, their structure is more similar to the exterior of mountain goats than to their closest relatives. The cervical region is shortened, the loin is long and wide. The changes also affected the distal legs: they also became shorter.

In the warm season, the body of the Snow Sheep is covered with short fur. In autumn, the process of changing the coat begins, but outwardly this practically does not manifest itself. Already in September, there is an active growth of spinous undercoat. Fluffy hairs and guard roots have a lighter color, therefore, by the onset of cold weather, the shade of the coat changes due to breaking off the upper part of the guard hairs. In the summer, when there is enough pasture in the meadows, the weight of the lambs is significantly greater than in the winter.

The snow sheep reaches sexual maturity at 2 years of age. The birth of young animals falls on the warm season. Lambs develop quickly and adapt to grazing. Already at the age of 1 month, most of the livestock refuses milk and completely switches to adult food. Fertility is low: the female at a time brings mainly one lamb.

The structure of the digestive tract of the Snow Sheep is the same as that of domesticated representatives. The length of the intestine is 30 times the length of the body, so pets can eat a fairly large amount of food. A powerful chewing apparatus allows the lambs to eat not only juicy greens, but also thorns, as well as all kinds of spikelets, carefully separating with their teeth even twigs close to the ground.

musk ox

The musk ox is a unique animal, the only one of its kind that has been preserved since the Ice Age. Its name was determined by the similarity with a bull and a ram. Scientists have proven that the musk ox is an intermediate link between them, although it is much closer to sheep in its genotype.

The musk ox got its second name because of the characteristic smell emitted by the infraorbital or orbital glands. The musk ox lives in the dry, harsh Arctic zone of Canada, Greenland, as well as Norway, Russia and Alaska, where they were brought by man to restore livestock.

The body of the musk ox is strong, squat. The powerful head is firmly planted on a thick neck. The ears are pointed, the eye sockets look to the sides, the eyes are dark brown. The horns converge on the forehead with a powerful base and are designed to protect against enemies and fights during the rut. The horns grow up to six years, curving first down and forward, and then up and out. The limbs are short with two main hooves, small side hooves and wide heels. This structure allows you to move well on slippery crust. The long and very warm coat consists of down, intermediate, outer and guide hair.

Musk oxen feed on forbs, sedge, and willow. With their front hooves, they are able to extract dry plants from under the snow.

The main natural enemies musk oxen are polar bears, wolverines and wolves, as well as a person, due to whose activities they were partially exterminated and listed in the Red Book. Today, the livestock of musk oxen has been restored by reintroduction and is constantly monitored.

Sterkh (white crane)

white crane rarest species cranes, which is endemic to the northern regions of Russia. Slender bird, covered with white plumage, with high and steady legs. Nest in the Tyumen region, and mostly in Yakutia. Winters in India and China.

The total weight is 5-9 kg, the wingspan is 230 cm, the height of the bird reaches 140 cm. long body, thin elongated neck and small head. The tips of the wings are decorated with black primary plumage, visible during flight. It has an elongated red beak. Each foot has four toes. The membranes connect only the middle and outer fingers.

Existence white crane Endangered. To improve the population of the Siberian Cranes, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has included them in the Red Book. They are also in the Russian Red Book. The total number of individuals in the wild nature of Yakutia is somewhere around 2900–3000. The West Siberian Siberian Cranes have a depressing situation - only about 20 individuals remain in nature.

Excessive legibility in habitat conditions makes it difficult to preserve Siberian Cranes. The bird avoids the presence of people, leaving the nest when a person approaches. In food, Siberian Cranes are not picky. The spring and summer diet consists of small rodents, eggs and chicks of other birds, fish, insects, cranberries, sedges and cotton grass (underwater). During winter migration, they feed on plant foods.

Lemming

Lemmings are small mouse-like rodents famous for their unprecedented fertility and amazing migrations. Lemmings belong to the hamster family and are systematically close to voles and hamsters, but they have a more distant relationship with mice. In total, 4-8 species of these rodents are distinguished.

Lemmings are small animals, but still noticeably larger than mice, their body length is 12-18 cm, the tail is short - only 1-2 cm. They are very similar in physique to well-known hamsters: small beady eyes, short sensitive vibrissae (“whiskers” ) and the same short legs. In ungulate lemmings, the claws on the paws grow and become wide by winter, besides, they are also bifurcated at the ends - hence the name "ungulate". Lemmings have short hair, their fur is of no value. Coloring at different types varies from gray to brown.

Lemmings live exclusively in the cold latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The ungulate lemming is distributed circumpolarly, that is, its range covers the north pole in a ring, the rest of the species occupy separate areas of the tundra. For example, the Norwegian lemming is found only on the Scandinavian and Kola Peninsulas, the Siberian lemming lives in the tundra from Northern Dvina to Eastern Siberia, the Amur lemming is found exclusively in Eastern Siberia, and the brown lemming is found only in Alaska and northern Canada. Like all rodents, lemmings live alone, meeting each other only for mating, which, however, happens often. They are active almost around the clock.

Most of the time, lemmings live sedentary, occupying certain areas of the tundra. Each animal digs a hole in its area in the upper layer of soil thawed from permafrost, sometimes lemmings make half-open nests of twigs and moss in the deepening of the soil. Tiny paths trodden by the animal diverge from the hole in all directions. Lemmings prefer to move along such paths and completely eat away the greenery around them, in winter they also adhere to these summer paths, breaking through passages under the snow. Lemmings do not hibernate during the winter.

american gopher

The American ground squirrel is a species of small rodent from the squirrel family. It is found in the tundra and is the prey of foxes, wolverines, lynxes, bears, and eagles. In summer, it feeds on tundra plants, seeds and fruits to increase fat before hibernation. By the end of summer, male ground squirrels begin to store food in burrows so that in the spring there will be something to eat until new vegetation grows. The burrows are covered with lichens, leaves and musk ox fur.

During hibernation, the gopher's brain temperature drops to near freezing, body temperature reaches -2.9°C, and heart rate drops to ~1 beat per minute. The temperature of the colon and blood becomes minus. Hibernation for adult males lasts from late September to early April, and for females from early August to late April. Body temperature drops from 37° C to -3° C. Coat color changes depending on the season. The fur is soft and velvety, and protects the animal from cold winds. Its homeland is the North American arctic tundra, and the main habitats are on the slopes of mountains, lowlands of rivers, lakeshores and mountain ranges. gophers prefer sandy soil due to easy digging and good drainage.

Sea lion

Sea lion - representatives of the eared seal family got their name due to their close resemblance to land lions. Male sea lions make a snarl-like growl African lion. On their heads you can see the same shaggy manes. The pinniped animal (in Latin “with feet-fins”) is streamlined, bulky, but flexible and slender, capable of reaching more than two meters in length.

Many are interested in how much an adult sea lion weighs? The mass of a flipper mammal reaches 300 kg. Although the sea lion is quite bulky and looks too big and unwieldy, it feels great for its weight. Female sea lions are much smaller than males by several times - an average of 90 kg. The head of the animal is small in size, outwardly resembles the head of a dog: an elongated, flexible neck, huge bulging eyes. On the muzzle are large, dense whiskers. At the top of the head of the lions is a real hairstyle - a tuft.

The fur of marine life has a brown-black tint. The coat is quite short and sparse, so it is not particularly valued, unlike fur seal fur. Due to the presence of thick limbs-fins, animals deftly move along the coast. Their seal relatives are not as nimble as lions. The body of animals is much more plastic than that of relatives.

Sea lions easily overcome long distances in the water and show real acrobatic etudes. With the help of flippers, they professionally maneuver in the expanses of water and easily redirect their bulky body in any direction. Thus, obtaining food is not difficult, and marine life won the title of successful miner. Going in search of food, the lion can swim several kilometers from the coast.

phalarope

The flat-nosed phalarope is a bird from the genus flat-nosed phalaropes of the snipe family. Distributed in the Arctic regions of Eurasia and North America. This is a migratory bird, which is unusual for shorebirds, migrating mainly along oceanic routes, wintering in tropical seas. They return back from the end of May to the second half of June.

The phalarope is about 21 cm long, with lobed toes and a straight beak that is somewhat thicker than that of the round-nosed phalarope. The weight of the male is 42–51 g, the female is 57–60 g. The length of the wings is 12–14 cm. During the breeding season, the females are black on the upper body and red on the lower, with a white spot on the cheek. The beak is yellow, with a black tip. Juveniles are light gray or brown on top, with buffalo-colored underparts and dark spots on the eyes. In winter, the plumage is gray-white.

Females are larger in size than males. They chase males, compete for breeding territory, and actively defend their nests. The nest is located near the water. The female lays three to six olive-black eggs and migrates south, after which the male begins to incubate the eggs. Chicks, as a rule, are able to feed themselves, and can fly by the age of 18 days.

When feeding, phalaropes often swim in a small, fast circle, forming a gentle whirlpool. Sometimes they fly in the air, catching insects. In the open ocean, they feed near whale populations. Outside of the nesting season, they often travel in flocks. Flat-nosed phalaropes can very often be tame and easily accustomed to humans.

Kamenushka

Kamenushka is a species of birds of the duck family. It is distinguishable from other ducks by the color of its plumage: the drake is dark with rusty-red sides, a white crescent spot in front of the eye, a white collar, white spots and stripes on the sides of the head and on the body. Its head and neck are black, matte. The female is also dark, with three white spots on her head.

A kamenushka is common in North-Eastern Siberia, Far East, Northwest America, Greenland, Iceland. Inhabits highlands, mainly rivers of the glacial zone. It is a migratory bird throughout most of its range. It winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts located south of the breeding grounds. In winter, it stays on the sea near rocky shores.

Kamenushka is an animal-eating duck, it feeds on insects, crustaceans, mollusks and other animals, for which, as a rule, it dives. It floats high on the water with its tail up and takes off easier and faster than most diving ducks. The voice of a drake during the mating season is a loud two-syllable cry that is difficult to convey and even more difficult to describe. In a flock, the birds communicate with a quiet quack, similar to the voice of a mallard.

In view of the small number of kale, it does not have any noticeable commercial value, with the exception of some wintering areas. The indigenous peoples of Siberia do not touch this beautiful duck at all, since many of them believe that the stones are the souls of drowned children.

peregrine falcon

The peregrine falcon is very widespread - it is found in almost every corner of our planet. Peregrine subspecies inhabit Australia, North America, Europe and Asia, Africa (except for the rainforest zone). Least rare in South America.

The peregrine falcon belongs to the group of "true falcons". This is the second largest bird of the falcon family, only the gyrfalcon grows larger. The peregrine falcon is endowed with a wide chest, dense plumage and a strong skeleton. He has a well developed muscular system. The peregrine falcon has large pointed wings, long fingers, a short tail and tarsals. The claws are strong and sharp, sickle-shaped.

The weight of an adult peregrine falcon varies from 700 to 1200 grams. The wingspan is 85-120 cm, the size of one wing is about 30-40 cm, the total body length can be from 40 to 50 cm. Males are about a third smaller than females.

The color of males and females practically do not differ. The back of the predator is decorated with a transverse bluish pattern on a gray-brown background of different shades, the lower back and undertail are painted in lighter shades. The wing feathers are dark brown (almost black). On the inside of the wing, a red or brown pattern is visible. The belly of young peregrine falcons is red in color with brown longitudinal variegated stripes. Claws are black, paws are yellow. The beak is black at the tip and gradually brightens towards the base.

Peregrine Falcons are predominantly inhabitants of open spaces - they do not settle in dense forests. Often they nest near the forest, in the river valley, the bird is often found in cities. Nests are usually not built, occupying the dwellings of other birds. Nest pads are not used. Often peregrine falcon nests are located on tall trees or rocks, as well as on tall buildings if the peregrine falcon lives in an urban area.

With the exception of peregrine falcons living in the warm southern regions, all other representatives of the species are nomads. With the onset of cold weather, they move further south. Only peregrine falcons living in the warm southern regions lead a sedentary lifestyle.

red-throated goose

The red-throated goose is one of the most unusual bird species that has ever lived in our country. This is a Russian endemic, that is, this bird is not found in any other country. It lives in Siberia, and more than 70 percent of all red-breasted geese are concentrated on the Taimyr Peninsula. Legends have been circulating around the world since ancient times about the unusualness and beauty of these birds. Here are a few cases of close interest in the red-breasted geese. In 1723, Peter I sent an expedition to Siberia and ordered that as many hitherto unseen animals and plants be brought to him from there.

Among the animals delivered to the king were "goats - black wings, brown goiters." These birds were known earlier (apparently thanks to explorers), then they were called red geese. In the 1960s, India wanted to acquire several red-breasted geese, offering two elephants in return.

The red-throated goose is a small goose-like bird. Body length 55cm, weight up to 2kg, wingspan 130cm. It is sharply distinguished from other birds by its beautiful plumage, which so attracted kings, foreigners and just lovers of wildlife. The head, back and belly of this goose are black, with white stripes running along the sides. The neck and chest (goiter) are red-brown in color, framed by a white stripe; on the cheeks there are the same red-brown spots, around which there is also a white stripe.

Undertail is white. The beak of the red-breasted goose is quite small, it is painted black. Like other geese, red-breasted geese move to warmer climes for the winter. Previously, they wintered on the coast of the Caspian Sea, but today they fly only to the Black Sea. They arrive in their native places not earlier than the second half of June, and fly away already in September; thus, "at home" they live no more than three months in a year.

The red-throated goose leads a diurnal lifestyle, sometimes in the middle of the day the flock temporarily stops looking for food and goes to the watering place. These goose spend the night in the water, although sometimes they can stay on land.

Orlan

Eagles are birds of prey from the buzzard subfamily of the hawk family. Eagle species are widespread on all continents except South America, but 2 species and 1 subspecies are listed in the International Red Book. Eagles prefer to live near water bodies. Unlike eagles , these birds have a bare tarsus.

The eagle is a massive, majestic bird. Her body length is from 70 to 110 cm, the wingspan is 2-2.5 m, the weight is in the range from 3 to 7 kg. The beak is large, hooked, the tail and wings are wide, the legs are strong, without plumage, with long curved claws. The pads on the paws are rough, which is necessary for the bird to hold slippery prey (primarily fish). The plumage is mostly brown, with some parts of the body white. In some species, white plumage of the head, shoulders, tail, and body is found. The beak is yellow.

The basis of the eagle's diet are fish and waterfowl. The prey of the sea eagle usually becomes a large fish weighing from 2 to 3 kg (salmon, pike, carp), from near-water birds the eagle hunts gulls, herons, geese, storks, ducks, flamingos. The eagle looks out for its victims from tall trees or in flight around a body of water.

Having spotted the prey, the predator approaches it very quickly: it plunges its long claws into the birds right in the air, and deftly snatches the fish from the surface of the water, but never dives under water after it. If there are a lot of fish in the reservoir, then up to ten eagles can hunt in the same place. In such joint hunting, birds often steal or take prey from each other.

Eagles are very widespread and are not found only in Antarctica and South America. Birds of this species always stay near water bodies: they do not fly near the coast of rivers, lakes, seas, inland. This is explained by the fact that sea eagles get their main food in or near water. Eagles are sedentary birds, but in cold winters, when water bodies freeze, they migrate south.

Merlin

Body length 50 - 95 cm, weight 1 - 2 kg. Wing length 34 - 42 cm, wingspan 120 - 135 cm. Females are larger than males. The plumage is dense, pockmarked. Gray-brown in color with white speckles on the back, head and wings. The belly of the bird is white with a rare transverse dark pattern. The throat and cheeks are white. There are white gyrfalcons with dark spots. The beak is short, bent down with a hook, a tooth on the edge of the mandible. The eyes are large and dark, vision is excellent. The legs are yellow, half-feathered, on the fingers there are sharp curved claws. The tail is long, the wings are pointed.

They live in Europe and North America. They live in the tundra and in the northern forest zone. They lead both sedentary and migratory lifestyles. From the northern regions, birds migrate to the forest-tundra.

They form pairs for life. They hunt alone. They feed mainly on birds, their main food is white partridges. In times of famine, rodents are caught. Hunts birds in flight, swooping down in mid-flight. He grabs the victim with strong paws, then kills it with a blow of his beak and eats it, sitting on a branch or a rocky stone. In general, this is a silent bird, but in an alarming state it makes hoarse sounds “hhek”, “heekk”. It flies quickly and flaps its wings frequently. Gyrfalcon is strong and hardy, smart and careful.

The nest does not build, it occupies strangers - ravens, or other large birds, and uses it for several years. If necessary, can repair the building. The nest is lined with moss or grass. Or maybe arrange a nest on a rocky ledge. mating season starts in April. Soon the female will lay 2 - 4 buffy eggs in red-red spots. She incubates alone for a month. The male provides food for the mate. The chicks are born in white fluff, they will spend two months in the nest, during which time they will change the fluff to feathers. Parents feed the children together, protect and educate. Then the chicks leave the nest and take to the wings, receive lessons in hunting skills from their mother and father. By September, the family will break up, and young birds begin an independent life.

Tundra Horned Lark

Slightly larger than a sparrow (body length up to 20 cm, wingspan up to 37 cm). Thanks to the original pattern and black "horns" of feathers, the birds are well distinguished from all other representatives of passerine birds. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed. The male is a little brighter than the female, he has a monochromatic pinkish-red crown.

The breeding range is discontinuous, occupying high latitudes and individual parts of the mountain ranges of Eurasia and North America.

Inhabits mountainous and dry lowland tundras and steppes, avoiding low and damp areas of tundras and steppes. For nesting, birds choose moss-lichen or dryad-moss areas on the peaks and slopes of tundra hills with clumps of grasses and patches of bare, clean rocky ground. They arrive in the mountain tundra with the appearance of the first thawed patches. The nest is located quite openly, usually next to a tuft of grass. The nest is built from grass, vegetable fluff; sometimes it contains the hair of rodents, deer, and extremely rarely feathers. The clutch contains from 2 to 5 eggs of ocher-gray color, with small uneven specks of gray or brownish color. Both adult birds feed. After leaving the nest, some chicks are led by the male, others by the female. Chicks are fed insects. In winter, they eat various seeds, choosing them from grass sticking out above the snow, from hay, picking them up on the roads. At the end of summer, they roam in broods, which gradually unite into large flocks by autumn. In the south of the nesting area, birds may overwinter.

sperm whales

The sperm whale is the largest representative of toothed whales: the body length of males reaches 20 meters with a mass of about 60 tons, females - 13 meters and weighs 30 tons. The origin of the species name is probably related to the Portuguese word cachola, which means "big head". It is difficult to argue with this fact, because the square head of the sperm whale is about a third of the length of the whale's body. The square shape of the head is given by a cushion of spermaceti, which can weigh up to 6 tons. There is still no consensus about its purpose: someone claims that the pillow is used for echolocation, others that it plays the role of a swim bladder.
The lower jaw of the sperm whale is much narrower and shorter than the muzzle, but it can open to 90 *, and is strewn with at least two dozen pairs of conical teeth. There are practically no teeth on the upper jaw.

The upper body and sides of the whale are covered with wrinkled skin, the color of which varies from grayish-brown to black-brown (this is clearly visible in the video below). The dorsal fin is poorly developed, and looks more like a hump, the tail is large, pectoral fins rounded, wide and short.

This whale belongs to those few species of animals that can be found almost anywhere in the oceans, almost the same as the blue whale. This is largely due to what the sperm whale eats, since its main prey - squid and octopus - are found almost everywhere. Also occasionally, stingrays, small sharks, cod, pollock, and some other marine fish fall into the menu of the sperm whale.

For prey, the sperm whale can dive to a depth of 3 km, which is a record for mammals, and can stay at a depth of up to 2 hours. It is here that he encounters giant octopuses up to 10 meters long, after contact with which large scars remain on the body of the whale.

The natural zone of the tundra is located mainly beyond the Arctic Circle and is bounded from the north by arctic (polar) deserts, and from the south by forests. It is located in the subarctic zone between 68 and 55 degrees north latitude. In those small areas where it is cold air masses mountains block the path from the Arctic Ocean in summer - these are the valleys of the Yana, Kolyma, Yukon rivers - taiga rises into the subarctic. It is necessary to distinguish separately the mountain tundra, which is characterized by a change in nature with the height of the mountains.

The word "tundra" comes from the Finnish tunturi, which means "treeless, bare upland". In Russia, the tundra occupies the coast of the seas of the Arctic Ocean and the territories adjacent to it. Its area is about 1/8 of the entire area of ​​Russia. In Canada, the tundra natural zone belongs to a significant part of the northern territories, which are practically uninhabited. In the United States, the tundra occupies most of the state of Alaska.

a brief description of

• The natural zone tundra occupies about 8-10% of the entire territory of Russia;
• The tundra has a very short summer with an average temperature in the warmest month, July, from +4 degrees in the north to +11 degrees in the south;
• Winter in the tundra is long and very severe, accompanied by strong winds and snowstorms;
• Cold winds blow throughout the year: in summer - from the Arctic Ocean, and in winter - from the chilled continental part of Eurasia;
• The tundra is characterized by permafrost, that is, the upper level of the earth frozen through, part of which thaws in summer by only a few tens of centimeters.
• Very little precipitation falls in the tundra zone - only 200-300 mm per year. However, soils in the tundra are waterlogged throughout due to impermeable permafrost at shallow depths of the surface cover and low evaporation due to low temperatures even with strong winds;
• Soils in the tundra are usually infertile (because of the humus being blown out by the winds) and heavily swamped due to freezing in harsh winters and only partial warming in the warm season.

Tundra is a natural zone of Russia

As everyone knows from school lessons, the nature and climate on the territory of Russia has a clearly defined zonality of processes and phenomena. This is due to the fact that the territory of the country has a large extent from north to south, and it is dominated by a flat relief. Each natural zone is characterized by a certain ratio of heat and moisture. Natural areas are sometimes called landscape or geographic areas.

The tundra occupies the territory adjacent to the coast of the Arctic Ocean and is the most severe inhabited natural zone in Russia. To the north of the natural tundra zone there are only arctic deserts, and to the south the forest zone begins.

The following are presented on the plains of Russia natural areas, starting from the north:

• Arctic deserts;
• Forest-steppe
• Steppes
• semi-deserts
• desert
• Subtropics.

And in the mountainous regions of Russia, altitudinal zonation is clearly expressed.

Natural areas of Russia on the map

The tundra is characterized by harsh climatic conditions, relatively low rainfall and the fact that its territory is located mainly behind polar circle. Let's list the facts about the tundra:

• The tundra natural zone is located to the north of the taiga zone;
• In the mountains of Scandinavia, the Urals, Siberia, Alaska and Northern Canada, mountain tundras are found;
• Tundra zones stretch in a strip 300-500 km wide along the northern coasts of Eurasia and North America;
• The climate of the tundra is subarctic, it is quite severe and is characterized by long winters with polar nights (when the sun practically does not rise above the horizon) and short summers. A particularly harsh climate is observed in the continental regions of the tundra;
• Winter in the tundra lasts 6-9 months a year, it is accompanied by strong winds and low air temperatures;
• Frosts in the tundra sometimes reach minus 50 degrees Celsius;
• The polar night in the tundra lasts 60-80 days;
• Snow in the tundra lies from October to June, its height in the European part is 50-70 centimeters, and in Eastern Siberia and Canada 20-40 cm. Snowstorms are frequent in the tundra in winter;
• Summer in the tundra is short, with a long polar day;
• August in the tundra is considered the warmest month of the year: positive average daily temperatures up to + 10-15 degrees are noted, but frosts are possible on any day of the summer;
• Summer is characterized by high air humidity, frequent fogs and drizzling rains;
• The tundra vegetation includes 200-300 species of flowering plants and about 800 species of mosses and lichens.

The main occupations of the population in the tundra:

• Reindeer herding;
• Fishing;
• Hunting for fur and sea animals.

The population of the tundra is limited in the choice of occupations due to the peculiarities of natural conditions and relative isolation from large cities, as well as the population on, isolated on small islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the following types of tundra are distinguished, which have characteristic vegetation:

• arctic tundra(marshy soils and moss-lichen plants predominate);
• subarctic tundra or typical middle tundra(moss, lichen and shrub plants, berries);
• or the southern tundra (shrub plants - dwarf birch, bushy alder, various types of willows, as well as berries and mushrooms).

arctic tundra

In the Arctic, on the northern edge of the European and Asian parts of Russia, as well as in the far north of North America, there is an arctic tundra. It occupies the coastal territory of the northern seas and is a flat swampy area. Summer brings only a short thaw there, and plants are not found due to the too cold climate. Permafrost is covered with melted lakes of melted snow and ice. Perennial plants in such conditions are able to grow only for a short time - at the end of July and August, grouping in places that are lowered and protected from the winds, and annual plants do not take root here, because due to harsh natural conditions, a very short growing season. The predominant species are mosses and lichens, and shrubs do not grow at all in the arctic tundra.

More southern types of tundra up to the forest-tundra zone are called Subarctic. Here, the cold arctic air in the summer is on a short time yields to warmer air temperate zone. The day there is long, and under the influence of penetration more warm climate tundra plants have time to develop. Basically, these are dwarf plants that nestle against the earth that radiates a little heat. So they hide from the winds and from freezing, trying to spend the winter under the snow cover as if in a fur coat.

IN middle tundra there are mosses, lichens and small shrubs. Small rodents are found here - lemmings (pied), which feed on arctic foxes and polar owls. Most animals in the tundra are covered with snow-white fur or plumage in winter, and turn brown or gray in summer. Of the large animals in the middle tundra, reindeer (wild and domestic), wolves, and tundra partridge live. Due to the abundance of swamps in the tundra, there is simply a gigantic amount of all kinds of midges, which attract wild geese, ducks, swans, waders and loons in the summer to breed chicks in the tundra.

Agriculture in the subarctic tundra is impossible in any form due to the low temperature of the soil and its poverty. nutrients. The territory of the middle tundra is used by reindeer herders as summer reindeer pastures.

On the border of the tundra and forest zones is located forest-tundra. It is much warmer in it than in the tundra: in some areas, the average daily temperature exceeds +15 degrees for 20 days a year. During the year, up to 400 mm of precipitation falls in the forest-tundra, and this is much more than the evaporated moisture. Therefore, the soils of the forest-tundra, as well as the subarctic tundra, are strongly waterlogged and waterlogged.

In the forest-tundra there are rare trees growing in sparse groves or singly. The forests consist of low-growing curved birches, spruces and larches. Usually the trees are far apart from each other, since their root system is located in the upper part of the soil, above the permafrost. There are both tundra and forest plant species.

In the eastern part of the forest-tundra are tundra forest characterized by thickets of stunted trees. In the subarctic mountainous regions, mountain tundra and barren rocky surfaces dominate, on which only mosses, lichens, and small rock flowers grow. The moss reindeer in the forest-tundra grows much faster than in the subarctic tundra, so there is expanse for deer here. In addition to deer, moose, brown bears, arctic foxes, white hares, capercaillie and hazel grouse live in the forest-tundra.

Agriculture in the tundra

In the forest tundra it is possible vegetable growing in the open field, here you can grow potatoes, cabbage, turnips, radishes, lettuce, green onion. And also developed methods for creating high-yielding meadows on the territory of the forest-tundra.

And do you know what…

In Iceland, which is located entirely in the natural zone of the tundra, potatoes were bred in the past and even barley was cultivated. It turned out a good harvest, because the Icelanders are a stubborn and hardworking people. But now, open farming has been replaced by a more profitable occupation - growing plants in greenhouses heated by the heat of hot springs. And today, various tropical crops grow beautifully in the tundra of Iceland, especially bananas. Iceland even exports them to Europe.

There are also mountain tundras, which form an altitudinal zone in the mountains of the temperate and subarctic belt. They are located above the border of mountain forests and are characterized by the dominance of lichens, mosses and some cold-resistant grasses, shrubs and shrubs. There are three belts in the mountain tundra:

• shrub belt- formed on stony soils, like the flat tundra.
• Moss-lichen belt located above the shrub, its characteristic vegetation is represented by semi-shrubs and some herbs.
• Upper belt mountain tundra is the poorest in vegetation. Here, among the stony soils and on the rocky formations, only lichens and mosses grow, as well as squat shrubs.

Mountain tundra (highlighted in purple)

Antarctic tundra

On the Antarctic Peninsula and islands in the high latitudes of the southern hemisphere there is a natural zone similar to the tundra. It is called the Antarctic Tundra.

Tundra in Canada and the USA

In the northern part of Canada and in the US state of Alaska, very significant areas are located in the tundra natural zone. It is located in the Arctic in the northern regions of the Western Cordillera. There are 12 types of tundra in Canada and the USA:

• Tundra of the Alaska Range and Saint Elias Mountains (USA and Canada)
• Coastal tundra of Baffin Island
• Tundra of the Brooks and British Mountains
• Davis Strait Tundra
• Tundra of the Torngat Mountains
• High mountain tundra of the hinterland
• Ogilvy and Mackenzie high tundra
• polar tundra
• subpolar tundra
• polar tundra
• Tundra and ice fields of the mountains of the Pacific coast
• arctic tundra

Flora and fauna of the tundra

Since the entire territory of the tundra is characterized by permafrost and strong winds, plants and animals have to adapt to life in difficult cold conditions, clinging to the ground or stones.

Plants in the tundra have characteristic forms and properties that reflect their adaptation to harsh continental climate. There are many mosses and lichens in the tundra. Due to the short and cold summers and long winters, most of the tundra plants are perennials and evergreens. Lingonberries and cranberries are examples of such perennials. shrub plants. They begin their growth as soon as the snow melts (often only in early July).

But the bushy lichen moss ("deer moss") grows very slowly, only 3-5 mm per year. It becomes clear why reindeer herders constantly wander from one pasture to another. They are forced to do this not at all because of a good life, but because the restoration of reindeer pastures is very slow, it takes 15-20 years. Among the plants in the tundra, there are also many blueberries, cloudberries, princesses and blueberries, as well as thickets of bushy willow. And in wetlands, sedges and grasses predominate, some of which have evergreen leaves covered with a bluish wax coating, giving dull colors.

1	Blueberry
2	Cowberry
3	Crowberry black
4	Cloudberry
5	Loydia late
6	Onion skoroda
7	princess
8	Cotton grass vaginal
9	sword sedge
10	dwarf birch
11	wedge-leaved willow

A distinctive feature of the tundra is a large number, but a small species composition of animals. This is also due to the fact that the tundra is located literally on the very edge of the earth, where very few people live. TO harsh conditions only a few species have adapted to the tundra, such as lemmings, arctic fox, reindeer, ptarmigan, snowy owl, hare, wolf, musk ox.

In summer, a mass of migratory birds appears in the tundra, attracted by a variety of insects that are found in abundance in the swampy area and are especially active in summer. They breed and feed their chicks here to soon fly to warmer climes.

Numerous rivers and lakes of the tundra are rich in various fish. Omul, vendace, whitefish and white salmon are found here. But cold-blooded reptiles and amphibians are practically not found in the tundra because of the low temperatures that limit their vital activity.

1	white-billed loon	29	arctic fox
2	small swan	30	Belyak Hare
3	goose bean goose	31	Varakusha
4	white-fronted goose	32	Lapland plantain
5	Canadian goose	33	Bunting
6	black goose	34	red-throated pipit
7	red-throated goose	35	horned lark
8	pink seagull	36	Long-tailed ground squirrel
9	Long-tailed Skua	37	Black-capped marmot
10	Fork-tailed gull	38	Siberian lemming
11	american swan	39	ungulate lemming
12	white goose	40	norwegian lemming
13	blue goose	41	Middendorf's vole
14	small white goose	42	Siberian Crane
15	Moryanka	43
16	spectacled eider	44	ptarmigan
17	eider comb	45	Kulik turukhtan
18	Crested Duck, male and female	46	sandpiper
19	Merlin	47	golden plover
20	peregrine falcon	48	sandpiper dunlin
21	Rough-footed buzzard	49	phalarope
22	weasel	50	Little Godwit
23	Ermine	51	snipe godwit
24	shrew	52	snow sheep
25	Wolf	53	salamander
26	White Owl	54	Malma
27	musk ox	55	arctic char
28	Reindeer	56	Dalliya

The tundra partridge is one of the most famous birds of the tundra.

Watch an interesting video about the tundra natural zone:

For arctic tundra characterized by very severe winters with strong winds and short cool summers. Despite this, various animals live here.

ANIMALS SUSHI. Polar bear, musk ox, reindeer, wolf, arctic fox, white hare, gopher Parry, wolverine, lemming.

SEA CREATURES. Walrus, white whale, northern fur seal, harp seal
BIRDS . Raven, ptarmigan and tundra partridge, loon, king eider, snowy owl, white goose, skua, tundra swan, arctic tern, crested lark, snow bunting.
PLANTS . Dwarf willow, dwarf birch, wild rosemary, cloudberry, Voronitsa, lingonberry, juniper, fescue, sedge, cotton grass, marsh heather, saxifrage, poppy, dryad, alpine sosuria, cinquefoil medium, powder puff, bearberry, Spoon grass, reindeer moss.
The tundra is located in the northern hemisphere. For most of the year, frosts rage here. Open spaces of the tundra, devoid of high vegetation, constantly blown by the winds.
LANDSCAPE Tundra. Pingos are domed hills of various sizes, usually from 2 to 23 m, with a depression at the top filled with water. These hills appear most likely after the drying up of small lakes and swampy areas.
River beds: flat depressions made of sand, gravel, silt and other natural materials left in the place of dried up rivers. Some channels stretch, meandering, for many kilometers. Foxes and wolves live in dry riverbeds. Small animals here find protection from large predators.
Polygons: the surface of the swamp is divided into rectangles by cracks, formed as a result of constant freezing and thawing of the upper layer of the earth, and the cracks between them are filled with stones. The polygon sizes are very different. A characteristic feature of such an area is low grassy vegetation.
Permafrost layer: Permafrost soils are developed everywhere. Permafrost creates an aquiclude and does not allow excessive moisture to seep into the depths, so the Arctic tundra has a very large number of swamps connected by streams and water channels.
CLIMATE. arctic tundra stretches from the northern taiga to the ice-covered regions of the North Pole, approximately between 60° and 70° north latitude. Throughout the year, the climate in the Tundra is cold. Even in the warmest month, the average temperature does not exceed 10°C.
Winters in the tundra very long and harsh. There is neither autumn nor spring in the tundra. Snow in the tundra is constantly accumulating, so at the end of winter it forms a rather thick cover. Most of this region lies beyond the Arctic Circle. Large regions do not receive a ray of light during the very long winter months. Snow melts only during the short Arctic summer. In summer, the sun does not set for several months. After the last snows have melted, the tundra is in full bloom. There are no tall trees in the tundra, dwarf trees grow here, there is grassy vegetation, also mosses and lichens. Since the arctic summer is fleeting, plants must also go through their development cycle very quickly. In summer, the tundra, covered with water, turns into vast marshy spaces. Tundra- a very vulnerable climate zone.
OR DO YOU KNOW THAT...
Warm wind for many inhabitants of the Arctic tundra is much more dangerous than severe frost. If frosts return after the snow melts, the water covers the plants with a thick crust, preventing animals from getting to food.
Parry the ground squirrel is the only inhabitant of the tundra that hibernates.
The bear discovers pups in a shelter at a depth of one meter under the snow.
The Arctic tern annually covers a distance of 35,000 kilometers, flying from the Arctic Circle to the coast of Antarctica and back.
The musk ox can be content with 1/6 of the feed consumed by the cow.
TUNDRA FOOD CHAIN
Polar bear: located at the top of the food chain. Arctic foxes, predatory seabirds, lemmings become its prey.
Predatory Skuas: like other seabirds, they prey on fish and crustaceans. In addition, they hunt lemmings.
Lemmings: feed on poor local vegetation. Every year they bring numerous offspring (up to 9 cubs in a litter). This is necessary for the survival of the population, since many animals become the prey of predatory animals and birds.

LIVING PLACE
The tundra is located in the northern hemisphere. It is located south of arctic zone. The tundra is a zone of permafrost, where the polar night is replaced by the polar day.
FAUNA AND FLORA
common tundra plants - these are dwarf trees, mosses and lichens, and some types of herbaceous plants. The fauna of the tundra is more diverse than the Arctic. Most of tundra animals leads a settled way of life, some migrate, but not far. By the way, if you are interested in a presentation on any topic, then for you.

Tundra is a natural ecosystem located at the North Pole. It is included in the biome surrounding the Arctic Circle, which is also the coldest on Earth. is located in the center of the North Pole, but there are other parts that are included in its territory, since they have the same climatic conditions. These regions include the Arctic, part of Alaska, and northern Canada. In the tundra, the average temperature in winter is -34° C, while in summer it ranges between +3° and +12° C.

The territory of the tundra warms up only for two months a year. But despite the severe cold, it is developing rapidly. Here you can find a wide variety of flora and fauna. they are concentrated quite tightly to protect themselves from the harsh northerly winds. Tundra animals hibernate for a significant part of the year or migrate to warmer regions. It is the animal world of the tundra that the list below is dedicated to.

polar fox

- distributed throughout the Arctic region. The diet consists of small mammals, including voles and lemmings, as well as birds and their eggs. Arctic foxes are opportunists and sometimes feed on dead animal carcasses. They often follow behind polar bears to feed on leftover carnivore remains. Arctic foxes also eat some plant foods such as berries.

Like many other foxes, arctic foxes build burrows. They can be located on hillsides or river banks, and usually have multiple entrances and exits. Polar foxes can be found in the arctic or alpine tundra.

Arctic foxes are adapted to live in extremely cold climates. They have fur on their feet to keep them warm, a thick and dense layer of fur around the body, short ears, small size body, and a large, fluffy tail that foxes wrap around themselves.

killer whale

killer whale - marine predator and the largest representative of the dolphin family, it is perfectly adapted to living in the harsh climate of the tundra. This is a very intelligent and highly adaptable animal. Killer whales live in all the oceans of the world. They have been seen from the north of the Arctic Ocean to the south of the Southern Ocean. They prefer cold waters. If food becomes scarce, killer whales swim to other areas with a sufficient food supply. Their diet consists of: seals, sea lions, small whales, dolphins, fish, sharks, squids, octopuses, sea ​​turtles, sea ​​birds, sea ​​otters, river beavers and other animals. A high-calorie diet helps build an insulating layer of fat that makes it easier to survive in the cold waters off the coast of the tundra.

The average body length of an adult male is 8 meters, and that of a female is 7 meters. The weight of males is about 7200 kg, and females are slightly less.

Killer whales are very social animals, their groups number up to 50 individuals. They share food with each other and leave their flock for no more than a few hours.

Sea lion

The sea lion is a marine mammal characterized by small ears, long and wide front flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and a short, dense coat. The front flippers are the main means of propulsion in the water. Their range extends from subarctic to tropical waters of the oceans, in the northern and southern hemispheres, with the exception of the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The average life expectancy is 20-30 years. The male sea lion weighs about 300 kg and has a body length of 2.4 meters, while the female weighs 100 kg and has a body length of 1.8 meters. Sea lions consume a large amount of food, about 5-8% of their body weight per meal. The diet consists of: fish (eg capelin, cod, herring, mackerel, pollock, sea bass, salmon, gerbil, etc.), bivalves, cephalopods (eg squid and octopus) and gastropods. Under the skin of the animal is a thick layer of fat, and along with thick hair, protects the animal from the harsh climatic conditions of the tundra.

These animals are able to dive deep underwater (up to 400 meters), and thanks to many inherent physiological processes (heart rate, gas exchange, food digestion rate and blood flow), the animal's body copes with high pressure caused by immersion.

The terrestrial lifestyle is used for resting, molting, and breeding. Sea lions may come ashore to bask in the sun.

american gopher

The American ground squirrel is a species of small rodent from the squirrel family. It is found in the tundra and is the prey of foxes, wolverines, lynxes, bears, and eagles. In summer, it feeds on tundra plants, seeds and fruits to increase fat before hibernation. By the end of summer, male ground squirrels begin to store food in burrows so that in the spring there will be something to eat until new vegetation grows. The burrows are covered with lichens, leaves and musk ox fur.

During hibernation, the gopher's brain temperature drops to near freezing, body temperature reaches -2.9°C, and heart rate drops to ~1 beat per minute. The temperature of the colon and blood becomes minus. Hibernation for adult males lasts from late September to early April, and for females from early August to late April. Body temperature drops from 37°C to -3°C.

The color of the coat changes depending on the time of year. The fur is soft and velvety, and protects the animal from cold winds.

Its homeland is the North American arctic tundra, and the main habitats are on the slopes of mountains, lowlands of rivers, lakeshores and mountain ranges. Ground squirrels prefer sandy soil due to easy digging and good drainage.

Lemming

The lemming is a small rodent that usually lives in or near the Arctic, in the tundra biome. The body weight of the animal is from 30 to 110 g, and its length is 7-15 cm. As a rule, lemmings have long, soft fur and very short tails. They are herbivores, feeding mainly on leaves and shoots, grass and sedge, as well as root crops and bulbs. From time to time, they consume the larvae. Like other rodents, their incisors grow continuously.

Lemmings do not hibernate due to the harsh northern winter. They remain active and search for food under the snow, or feed on blanks. They are solitary animals by nature, and only meet to mate before going their separate ways, but like all rodents, have a high reproductive rate and often breed when food is plentiful.

Seal

There are many types of seals living in the tundra, including the harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus), long-snouted seal (Halichoerus grypus), Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), sea Elephant (Mirounga) and striped seal (Histriophoca fasciata). Seals are excellent swimmers that dive deep into the Arctic seas to hunt fish, but come to land to breed, socialize and give birth. Thanks to their thick fat deposits and waterproof coat, they are well adapted to life in cold conditions.

Seals hold their breath underwater for long periods of time and dive very deep, allowing air to escape from their lungs. Weddell seals are able to hold their breath for up to an hour. Many species often stay under the ice, which helps them avoid predators such as polar bears. Most seals molt during the warm season, and some tundra species migrate to warmer seas to molt.

Beluga whale

- a white representative of toothed whales from the narwhal family (Monodontidae). This animal is well adapted to life in cold waters due to a number of anatomical and physiological features. Among them - white color and the absence of a dorsal fin. Beluga whales have a distinctive bulge on the front of their head that houses a large and deformable echolocation organ. Males grow up to 5.5 meters in length and weigh about 1600 kg. Beluga whales have a stocky body and well-developed hearing.

These are social animals, forming groups of up to 10 individuals on average, but in summer they can gather in groups of hundreds or even thousands of belugas. They are slow swimmers, but have the ability to dive up to 700 meters underwater. The diet depends on their location and season. Beluga whales are migratory animals and most groups spend the winter near the arctic cap; when the ice melts in summer, they move to warmer estuaries and coastal areas. Some groups are sedentary and do not migrate long distances during the year.

Elk and reindeer

Elk and reindeer - representatives of the deer family (Cervidae). Male elk have characteristic forked antlers, while reindeer have antlers found in both sexes. Both species are widely distributed in various climatic zones, including in the tundra. They feed on vegetation (bark, leaves, grass, buds, shoots, moss, mushrooms).

Due to the structure of the hair and thick hairline, as well as a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, these deer are adapted to living in the cold climate of the tundra. They are able to move on loose snow and raise their legs high when walking. When moving, they use a step or a trot (very rarely they run at a gallop).

With a snow cover height of more than 70 cm, they move to less snowy areas.

arctic hare

The Arctic hare, or polar hare, is a species of hare that is adapted to life in polar and mountainous habitats. It has shortened ears and limbs, a small nose, fat deposits that make up 20% of its body weight, and a thick layer of fur. To keep warm and sleep, polar hares dig holes in the ground or under the snow. They look like rabbits, but have shorter ears, are taller when standing, and, unlike rabbits, are able to live in very cold temperatures. They may travel with other hares, sometimes in groups of 10 or more, but are usually found alone except during the breeding season. The Arctic hare can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

Belyak is one of the largest representatives of lagomorphs. On average, individuals weigh from 2.2 to 5.5 kg (although large hares weighing up to 7 kg are found), and have a body length of 43-70 cm, not counting the tail length of 4.5-10 cm.

Arctic hare eat vegetation, 95% of their diet consists of willow, the rest includes moss, lichen, sedge, bark, algae. Sometimes they eat meat and fish.

Polar bear

One of the largest land mammals. Males weigh 370-700 kg, height at the withers from 240 to 300 cm. Females are smaller than males, with an average weight of 160-320 kg. Polar bears seem to have white fur; however, their hairs are transparent and their skin is black. Wool and skin are adapted to absorb sunlight and maintain high body temperature. Like many others and the tundra, polar bears have short ears, which minimizes heat loss.

Polar bears often nest near water and ice where their favorite food, seals, is found. Bears have burrows in which they sleep and where females give birth to their young. These predators do not hibernate as this is the hunting season, however, some individuals and pregnant females in particular go into a deep winter sleep during which the heart rate drops significantly.

Melville island wolf and tundra wolf

The Melville island wolf and the tundra wolf are subspecies of the gray wolf that live in the tundra. The coat of tundra wolves is darker than that of the polar ones. In both subspecies, the hairline is long, thick and soft. The tundra subspecies is found on the mainland, while the Arctic wolves live on the ice itself, because they are better able to camouflage themselves from potential prey, thanks to their snow-white coat. These wolves hunt in packs of 5-10 individuals. Arctic wolves prey on musk oxen, caribou, and arctic hares. In addition, they eat lemmings, birds, and ground squirrels. Polar wolves are slightly larger than tundra wolves and have small ears, which allows them to better keep warm.

The structure of the paws, namely the presence of small webs between the fingers, allows them to easily move through deep snow. They are digitigrade, so that the weight of the body is in balance. Dull claws help maintain balance on slippery surfaces, and the circulatory system protects the limbs from hypothermia. The fur of these wolves has a low thermal conductivity, which helps to survive in the harsh climatic conditions of the tundra.

Ermine

Ermine - small predator, a member of the weasel family. The length of the body, taking into account the head, is 16-31 cm, and the weight is 90-445 grams. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, males are larger than females. They have a long, thin, cylindrical body, short legs and a long tail. In individuals living in the tundra, the fur is thicker and lighter than relatives from other climatic zones.

They have excellent eyesight, smell and hearing, which are used in hunting. Stoats are agile and good at climbing trees. They are also excellent swimmers, able to swim across wide rivers. On the snow, they move using jumps on their hind legs up to 50 cm in length.

They are carnivores and their diet consists of: rabbits, small rodents (eg mice, voles), hares, birds, insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. When food is scarce, they eat carrion (dead animal carcasses).

musk ox

- long-haired, herbivorous, horned mammal that lives in the territories of Alaska, Greenland, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Siberia. They reach a body length of 180 to 230 cm, and the height at the withers ranges from 120 to 150 cm. Their weight varies between 180-400 kg. Thanks to their incredibly long and thick coat, musk oxen are ideally adapted to life in the conditions of the north and endure the most severe frosts. Males and females have horns that start near the center of the skull. They have glands that produce a strong musky smell, which is their name for these bulls.

Musk oxen are vegetarians and eat for the most part vegetation that is available in the tundra (willow shoots, lichens, grasses and shrubs).

Musk oxen live in herds. The herd often stays in a certain area where food and water are available. If these resources are not available, animals will move within range in search of food and drink necessary for life.

Snowy or snowy owl

The snowy owl is a beautiful white bird from the owl family. Their white plumage helps them hide in cold habitats. Only males are completely white; females and their cubs have dark spots on the body and wings. The color of the feathers of males becomes whiter with age. Females are never completely white, but mature males are often 100% white. Their feathers are long and thick (even the claws are covered with feathers), and are well suited to cold climates.

Snowy owls are one of the largest owls with a body length of about 71 cm and a weight of 3 kg. They are diurnal unlike most other owl species, which means that most of their activity falls on daytime days.

Snowy owls are carnivorous, they have fantastic eyesight and hearing, which allow them to find prey hidden in thickets or under thick snow. Their preferred prey are lemmings, which they eat in huge numbers. An adult owl eats over 1,500 lemmings a year, and supplements this diet with fish, rodents, rabbits, and birds.

The snowy owl prefers to stay in its cold habitat for the whole year, but is known to be able to migrate.

Grasshopper

The grasshopper is an insect that can jump, walk and fly. Grasshoppers are distributed almost throughout the globe, from the tropics and deserts to the tundra and alpine meadows. They do not live in burrows, but prefer to live on open plants. In the tundra, they feed on rotting vegetation that they can find. Grasshoppers also eat small insects that live in this harsh region of the planet.

mosquitoes

There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes that are found all over the world except Antarctica. On the territory of the tundra, you can find twelve species of these bloodsuckers, which are especially active in the summer.

In cold climates, they remain active for several weeks a year, when due to the development of thermokarst, pools of water form. During this time, they breed to a huge number and feed on the blood of reindeer. Mosquitoes are able to tolerate negative temperatures and exposure to snow.

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